The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is all set to form a new government in Haryana despite falling short of the majority mark by 5 seats. Dushyant Chautala's Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) has come forth with 10 seats to support the BJP while the saffron party has offered him the Deputy CM post in Haryana.
The two parties will on Saturday meet the Haryana governor to stake claim to form the government. BJP president Amit Shah announced at a press conference on Friday evening that the chief minister will be from his party and the deputy chief minister from JJP.
Dushyant Chautala joined the BJP leaders for this joint press conference to announce the post-poll coalition. Incumbent Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar is likely to be elected the BJP legislative party leader at a meeting in Chandigarh on Saturday and will then stake a claim before the governor to form the government.
Dushyant Chautala is likely to be his deputy. "Going by the mandate of the voters of Haryana, leaders of both parties have decided that BJP and JJP will form the government together. The chief minister will be from the BJP and deputy chief minister will be from the JJP," Amit Shah told reporters.
Amit Shah may have spoken to Chautala even before results were out
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The BJP-JJP alliance in Haryana is in line with the "spirit" of people's mandate, Amit Shah said on Friday with Dushyant Chautala and Haryana BJP leaders seated by his side. Amit Shah and Dushyant Chautala were also joined by Khattar and other BJP leaders at the press conference. Chautala said his party believed the alliance was necessary for stability in Haryana.
The BJP's decision to win over Chautala underlines its quest to placate Jats, a dominant community in the state who are believed to have voted mostly against the saffron party in the recent polls, to ensure a smooth run of its government.
Khattar said both parties had worked together in the past. According to a report, Amit Shah may have spoken to Chautala even before the results were out, following inputs that the BJP might not get a majority on its own.